ATLANTA — Some in Jonesboro, Ark., saw a miracle on Saturday after a tornado roared through town. It tore through businesses already closed by the coronavirus andneighborhoods where people had already been told to social distance by hunkering down at home. Not a soul died.

Now comes the really hard part: rebuilding and moving on together while officials still urge residents to stay apart.

The tornado gashed a scar of devastation that stretched on for more than four miles, scraping through the heart of the city’s commercial district, destroying hangars at the municipal airport and pulverizing homes in several subdivisions.

But the morning after the tornado had passed, many acknowledged that the measures that had been put in place to thwart the coronavirus had saved lives in an unintended way. The J.C. Penney and Barnes & Noble stores that typically bustle on weekends were closed. And so were restaurants, which would have been preparing for the early dinner crowd when the tornado hit just after 5 p.m.

“Actually, that’s the blessing,” Bishop Adrian Rodgers, the pastor of Fullness of Joy Ministries, said on Sunday from his empty church, where he has been broadcasting his sermons to a congregation watching on Facebook.

Marvin Day, the judge for Craighead County, of which Jonesboro is the seat, added: “Truthfully, we are feeling very blessed and grateful. Our human tragedies could have been a lot worse.” The authorities said 22 people were injured, but only two were hospitalized. Neither had life-threatening injuries.

Still, the tornado on its own would have created considerable hardship for a community, which now must rebuild. But it struck at an already difficult moment, as officials were contending with the coronavirus outbreak that had infected six people in Craighead County and caused many residents to lose their jobs or have their working hours reduced.

“In the midst of this response, maintaining the appropriate posture with regard to Covid-19 is going to be an added challenge,” Representative Rick Crawford, a Republican who represents the area, said at a briefing on Sunday morning.

As in most of the country, normal routines have been cast aside in an effort to curb the virus. Gatherings of more than 10 people are forbidden. Businesses that were not deemed essential have closed, and restaurants have shut down their dining rooms. Students at the local school district were off last week for spring break, but starting this week, they will be taking online classes, with school canceled until at least April 17.

“Our community is taking the virus precautions to heart,” said Bobby Long, a city councilman who represents one of the hardest hit areas of the city.

But the measures were becoming tougher to maintain, with the virus, which remained an invisible and undefined threat for many, being superseded by a disaster that left a path of wreckage that was much more tangible.

“All of this social distancing, for me now, is over,” said Diane Bizzle, who has asthma and was isolating herself for the past few weeks. “As soon as it passed, all of the neighbors were outside, checking to make sure everyone was OK. You go out and you talk to them. You’re hugging.”

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Curtis Brown, left, and Bryant Watson surveying the damage to Mr. Brown’s house.Credit...Houston Cofield for The New York Times

Curtis Brown, 54, worked with a friend to clean up after his fence and pine trees were knocked down and windows were shattered. But he has not let his guard down with the virus. “We’re all doing the elbow bumps,” he said, “and standing a distance from people. Using hand sanitizer. All of that.”

In a city peppered with churches, the tornado was the kind of event that had many people wanting to gather with the rest of their congregations to find solace and community. Bishop Rodgers said that his congregation would continue to support its members in many ways and check on their well-being. But it would have to be at a distance.

“We certainly want to be good citizens,” he said, adding that he knew of a funeral that had been attended by one person who was sick, which spread the virus to others. “All it takes is for one person to be sick, and many have been affected.”

As the tornado touched down, moving from south to north, some said they were at home watching the local television news, seeing in real time the funnel forming over the meteorologist’s shoulders. It caused significant damage at the Mall at Turtle Creek and at an Anheuser-Busch granary. Cars were picked up and tossed aside. Part of a freight train was knocked over.

“All I could hear was just the most horrific exploding,” said Sharon Gore, 60, who could see the destroyed mall from her driveway. “There was so much glass cracking. I couldn’t believe it. I was just calling the name of Jesus over and over again, because I couldn’t even get a prayer out. It was like bombs were dropping.”

Frequently Asked Questions and Advice

Updated June 5, 2020

How many people have lost their jobs due to coronavirus in the U.S.?

The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.

Will protests set off a second viral wave of coronavirus?

Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission.

How do we start exercising again without hurting ourselves after months of lockdown?

Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home.

My state is reopening. Is it safe to go out?

States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.

What’s the risk of catching coronavirus from a surface?

Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.

How can I protect myself while flying?

If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)

Should I wear a mask?

The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.

What should I do if I feel sick?

If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.

Jonesboro, a city of about 75,000 in northeast Arkansas, had been devastated by tornadoes before. A storm in 1968 killed 34 people and injured some 300 others. Another storm in 1973 also left a trail of destruction. Three people were killed, but it was hailed as a “miracle” for not being deadlier.

“If the storm had struck just a few hours earlier, it would have caught hundreds of shoppers in the Carraway Road area, which was pounded with savage fury,” wrote Mike Overall, city editor of The Jonesboro Sun, according to a retrospective published in 2013 by Memphis magazine. “And, everyone shudders to think what would have happened if the twisters had hit during school hours. Nevertheless, the fact that so many lived was a miracle in itself.”

Mr. Long, the city councilman, pitched in on Sunday morning, covering roofs and boarding up windows. He saw residents picking through debris and clearing yards, and others carrying ice chests and handing out drinks and snacks. He said that keeping distance was difficult for residents, just as juggling the tandem emergencies would be for city officials.

“You do what you have to do to meet the need at the moment, and right now, this is what we’re doing,” he said. “We’re doing our best to keep the virus under control. We will not abandon those people who need us the most at this time.”

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A car covered in debris in a driveway in Jonesboro, Ark.Credit...Houston Cofield for The New York Times

He said it was painful to go through some of the harder hit areas, seeing the homes destroyed and, with them, lives disrupted. He was also grateful. “Stuff is stuff,” he said. “It’s people that matter.”

His voice broke as he described walking through the subdivision Bridgers Place. He approached one home where the roof had been shaved off and wooden beams inside had splintered. But Mr. Long teared up and had to pause as he recalled looking in one of the windows, where he saw a sign still tacked on the wall. “Blessed,” it said.

Rick Rojas reported from Atlanta, and Vanessa Swales from New York. Michael Levenson contributed reporting from New York.